Conservation Commissioners and other town volunteers are invited to join Taking Action for Wildlife for a webinar series focused on wildlife and habitat conservation in New Hampshire. This four-part series will provide participants with information and resources related to conservation actions they can take for wildlife, including protecting priority habitats for wildlife, wildlife corridors and road crossings, wildlife considerations for trails, and outreach and community engagement focused on wildlife and habitats. Presenters will include wildlife professionals from UNH Cooperative Extension, NH Fish & Game Department, and the NH Association of Conservation Commissions.
Following the webinar series, the Taking Action for Wildlife team will be providing direct assistance to a select number of communities on a project to benefit wildlife and habitats. Taking Action for Wildlife team members will help communities develop their project by providing support to identify goals, creating a project plan and timeline, connecting you to resources, and assisting with project implementation. Applications will be available in March 2025 following completion of the webinar series. Preference will be given to communities that participate in one or more webinars in the series and that have a defined project goal.
Webinar Series Details
Conservation Tools for Protecting Wildlife Important Habitats
Wednesday, February 5, 2025 @ 4:00-5:15 PM
Communities play an important role in protecting important wildlife habitats in New Hampshire. This webinar will introduce wildlife habitats, how to identify significant wildlife habitats in your community, and how to prioritize areas to protect. We’ll provide an overview of land conservation options and how to implement land conservation – including information about landowner outreach, working with a land trust, and how to find funding opportunities. We’ll point to existing resources and other tools to help you get started protecting important wildlife habitats in your community.
About the Presenters:
Barbara Richter
Executive Director, NH Association of Conservation Commissions
Barbara Richter has served as the Executive Director for the New Hampshire Association of Conservation Commissions since 2016. She has more than 20 years of experience in communications, administration and land conservation in NH. Her extensive experience in land protection includes working at the Center for Land Conservation Assistance at the Society for the Protection of NH Forest, where she supported local and regional land trusts in their land protection initiatives. Barbara also worked at the Monadnock Conservancy in the role of Stewardship Coordinator and Membership Coordinator. She has first-hand experience with conservation commissions as a previous chair of the Surry Conservation Commission and an appointed member of the City of Keene Conservation Commission. She understands the required duties of conservation commissions and is familiar the challenges faced by both small towns and cities. Barbara received her master’s degree in environmental studies from Antioch New England University and her bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Syracuse University. She lives in Keene with her husband Frank and a small dog named Winni.
Emma Tutein
Community Conservation State Specialist, UNH Cooperative Extension
Emma has worked at UNH Extension for over 15 years in a variety of roles. In her current role as Community Conservation State Specialist, Emma works with conservation professionals and volunteers to support their work in protecting New Hampshire’s natural resources. She coordinates educational and professional development opportunities for land trust staff, conservation commissioners, landowners, and others with interests in land conservation and land stewardship. Emma earned her Bachelor of Science in Ecology and Natural Resource Management from Rutgers University and a Master’s of Science in Wildlife Ecology from the University of New Hampshire. She has been a member of the Taking Action for Wildlife team since she started working at UNH Cooperative Extension.
Wildlife Corridors & Crossings
Wednesday, February 19, 2025 @ 4:00-5:15 PM
Wildlife move across the landscape and require connected areas of intact habitat in order to find food and shelter, reproduce, migrate, and disperse. Habitat linkages that allow for the movement of wildlife from one area to another are called wildlife corridors, and can be an area of forest, in and along rivers and streams, along ridgelines, or even along a hedgerow. Wildlife frequently encounter barriers, such as roads and other infrastructure, as they move. Helping wildlife to move safely is critical to individuals and populations. This workshop will discuss the importance of wildlife corridors, and how communities can work to help conserve or restore connected habitats. We will introduce tools and resources available to communities in protecting and enhancing wildlife corridors, best practices, and examples of New Hampshire-based projects that have promoted safe wildlife movement.
About the Presenters:
Haley Andreozzi
Wildlife Conservation State Specialist, UNH Cooperative Extension
In her role as the Wildlife Conservation State Specialist with UNH Cooperative Extension, Haley works with volunteers, landowners, natural resources professionals, and communities to enhance, restore, and conserve wildlife habitat throughout New Hampshire. She manages outreach, citizen science, and stewardship projects related to New Hampshire’s wildlife species and their habitats, including for species of greatest conservation need. Haley coordinates the NH Coverts Project, Taking Action for Wildlife, and the Women in the Woods program. She received her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science & Natural Resources Management from the University of Rhode Island and earned a Master’s of Science in Wildlife & Conservation Biology from the University of New Hampshire.
Sandra Houghton
Wildlife Diversity Biologist, NH Fish & Game: Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program
Sandi Houghton is a Wildlife Diversity Biologist in the Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program at the NH Fish and Game Department. Sandi’s work at NH Fish & Game focuses on implementation of the New Hampshire’s Wildlife Action Plan, including working on bat conservation and wildlife connectivity. Sandi co-leads the New Hampshire Transportation and Wildlife Workgroup, an interdisciplinary team with the goal of reducing the effects of roads on the state’s fish and wildlife, particularly Species of Greatest Conservation Need. Sandi has a BA in Biology from Colby College and a MS in Natural Resources (Wildlife) from the University of New Hampshire where her thesis work focused on amphibians and vernal pool habitats.
Wildlife and Habitat Considerations for Trails
Wednesday, March 5, 2025 @ 4:00-5:15 PM
Trails provide significant benefits to communities by providing outdoor recreational access to a variety of users, but it is important to consider our wildlife neighbors when designing and maintaining them. This workshop will review how trail users affect local wildlife and habitats, the importance of designing and locating trails to minimize their impact on wildlife, significant or sensitive habitats to avoid, and considerations in trail use. We will be presenting tools and resources to assist trail organizations and conservation commissions in evaluating their current trails system and offering best practices in trail planning.
About the Presenters:
Sara Callaghan
Community Conservation Field Specialist, UNH Cooperative Extension
In her role as Community Conservation Field Specialist for UNH Cooperative Extension, Sara educates and supports municipalities, conservation commissions and community volunteers on land conservation and stewardship initiatives. She encourages community engagement and awareness of local natural resources and assists towns in implementing informed and actionable conservation and stewardship strategies that enhance wildlife habitat, provide outdoor recreational and educational opportunities, and protect meaningful places. Sara received her M.S. in Natural Resources with a concentration in Wildlife Biology from the University of New Hampshire.
Emma Tutein
Community Conservation State Specialist, UNH Cooperative Extension
Emma has worked at UNH Extension for over 15 years in a variety of roles. In her current role as Community Conservation State Specialist, Emma works with conservation professionals and volunteers to support their work in protecting New Hampshire’s natural resources. She coordinates educational and professional development opportunities for land trust staff, conservation commissioners, landowners, and others with interests in land conservation and land stewardship. Emma earned her Bachelor of Science in Ecology and Natural Resource Management from Rutgers University and a Master’s of Science in Wildlife Ecology from the University of New Hampshire. She has been a member of the Taking Action for Wildlife team since she started working at UNH Cooperative Extension.
Community Engagement for Wildlife
Wednesday, March 19, 2024 @ 4:00-5:15 PM
Conservation Commissions play many important roles for wildlife and habitats in New Hampshire, including engaging community members around these valuable resources. This workshop will discuss the importance of community engagement for wildlife, provide ideas for how you can share information about wildlife and habitats, and enlist the help of community members in collecting valuable data about your town’s natural resources. We will share examples of wildlife-focused outreach efforts from towns in New Hampshire and some best practices for engaging with your community.
About the Presenters:
Haley Andreozzi
Wildlife Conservation State Specialist, UNH Cooperative Extension
In her role as the Wildlife Conservation State Specialist with UNH Cooperative Extension, Haley works with volunteers, landowners, natural resources professionals, and communities to enhance, restore, and conserve wildlife habitat throughout New Hampshire. She manages outreach, citizen science, and stewardship projects related to New Hampshire’s wildlife species and their habitats, including for species of greatest conservation need. Haley coordinates the NH Coverts Project, Taking Action for Wildlife, and the Women in the Woods program. She received her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science & Natural Resources Management from the University of Rhode Island and earned a Master’s of Science in Wildlife & Conservation Biology from the University of New Hampshire.
Sara Callaghan
Community Conservation Field Specialist, UNH Cooperative Extension
In her role as Community Conservation Field Specialist for UNH Cooperative Extension, Sara educates and supports municipalities, conservation commissions and community volunteers on land conservation and stewardship initiatives. She encourages community engagement and awareness of local natural resources and assists towns in implementing informed and actionable conservation and stewardship strategies that enhance wildlife habitat, provide outdoor recreational and educational opportunities, and protect meaningful places. Sara received her M.S. in Natural Resources with a concentration in Wildlife Biology from the University of New Hampshire.
